HIV and AIDS has ravaged many in the black community with young black men and women being infected with the disease at an alarming rate. But while many community organizations have been taking on the fight to educate African Americans about the disease, one major force has been eerily silent: the black church.

Shavon Arline-Bradley, director of health programs for the NAACP who helped oversee the manual’s creation, said it makes sense for the nation’s largest civil rights organization to be involved in the discussion of HIV and AIDS.

“People look at us as just civil rights, and what they’re missing is that health is one of the most pressing civil rights issues of our time,” Arline-Bradley said.

Religious leaders who helped with the manual said black churches have been reluctant to talk about the disease. That’s in part because the topic is wrapped up with sex and homosexuality, often taboo topics in the church.

“Sex is not something church people like to talk about. It’s something they like to do,” said the Rev. Joseph Smith, assistant to the pastor of the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, and one of the people who worked on the manual.

Despite the squeamishness, the NAACP says black churches can play a role in combating the alarming impact of HIV on the black community. African Americans make up almost half of all new HIV infections, and blacks are less likely to get treatment and more likely to die of complications from AIDS than any other race.

Sheridan Todd Yeary, a Baltimore pastor who helped with the manual, said he believes the NAACP’s involvement in the project will reassure some leaders that talking about HIV and AIDS is OK. He compared the organization’s approval to the “Good Housekeeping Seal” of approval for household products.

While many will wonder what took black church leaders so long to begin discussing this disease with their congregations, I’m glad many are realizing the need to not only care for their members’ souls, but also their health.

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Its nice to see the NAACP finally doing something to help the Black community…..seems like they forgot their roots a long time ago. Maybe not all hope is lost for them.

Sofia

Kudos to the NAACP for this!! I think it will take time; but I think it is a big step in a direction that will bring this very important topic to a platform that will capture a big portion of folks and/or bring education and awareness in a way that is needed. It would be great if all faith based leaders got on board and speak about HIV and AIDS/healt issues

The Church doesn’t need a manual, the same rules in the bible that have been there since it’s conception are good enough to address community ill. The people who choose not to follow these rules are the ones who bring hardship on themselves and want to turn it around and blame the church. People can not even follow the ten commandments and it’s the Church’s fault?

Studies have shown that Black women are the most religious, right? There are probably more Black women who attend church than Black men, right? Thus, the NAACP is ultimately directing their message to Black women, right?

Mademoiselle

Black women out number black men as a population. By your logic, the lion’s share of all messages to any black audience are directed at black women.

726

Okay, sure, but my questions have not been answered.

Mademoiselle

The NAACP is directing their message to the black church, which comprises both women and men. So yes, their ultimately directing it to black women who sit alongside the black men they’re also directing the message to.